While none of the LGBTQ+ deaths were reported in Colorado this year, those in the local community said that doesn’t mean they always feel safe from violence.
COLORADO, USA — The nation’s largest LGBTQ+ rights group is calling the violence against transgender or gender-nonconforming people this year an epidemic in the United States.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 33 transgender or gender-nonconforming people were killed in the U.S. in 2023.
While none of those deaths were reported in Colorado this year, those in the community said that doesn’t mean they always feel safe.
“As a Black trans person I feel like just the same as anywhere else that I’ve been that there is a sense of not being as important because you’re a Black trans woman,” Tiara Kelley said.
Kelley is disheartened by the recent Human Rights Campaign report which cited data of those 33 LGBTQ+ people killed, the report stated 90.9% of them were people of color.
“As much as we would like to believe that things are getting better for all of the trans community, the reality is with numbers like that almost every year something’s wrong and we need to work on something,” Kelley added.
The Human Rights Campaign declared a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people earlier this year because of the growing number of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the country.
“For Colorado in general as a sanctuary city we’re seeing the impacts of families coming from Oklahoma, Texas, Florida other areas trying to make sure that their families are safe and supported and again I think what needs to happen is we need to recognize transgender and gender- nonconforming are an integral part of our communities,” said Nadine Bridges, executive director of LGBTQ+ rights group One Colorado.
The organization focuses on policies to protect the LGBTQ+ community. While the group said Colorado has the most LGBTQ+ protection laws than any other state, they said there is more work for them to do.
“It does not mean that they’re not also being harassed, outed in very public ways,” Bridges said. “That is where we have a lot of work to do.”
“Colorado is not exempt from the systematic racism that comes along with being a trans person of color. I say that there may be more acceptance here however it still exists and it’s still a major issue and we should never think there’s a certain place that it doesn’t exist,” Kelley added.
She hoped change will come so that future generations can live their lives peacefully.
“We are working for you and we are working to make tomorrow and better day and a better place for you,” she said to the younger generations.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, about 60% of those 33 people killed were Black transgender women and more than half of those people killed were mis-gendered by the police or news reports.
